Introducing... Our Half Bath!

Since I've been posting about bathrooms for the last couple of days I figured I would keep this bathroom train rolling and introduce my half bath. Waaaaahooooo!!! Who is excited!?! And guess what? I am not even going to give it to you in Chronicle form. I am going to show you the before and after in one single post. Can you even imagine!

Here is a glimpse at the finished product:

Unfortunately, this is the only photo I have of our bathroom before we changed it.

Bathroom changeover list:

• That bathroom was like a dungeon so I had my handyman Dave add an extra light to the ceiling. I spraypainted the can light covers to change them from a dingy off-white to a bright white.

• Painted the 80s oak cabinets black. First, I primed it with Glidden Gripper in gray. Then I painted it the blackiest black color I cound find.

Here is a closeup I had of the vanity from another bathroom we changed out. They were identical.

• The hardware was changed out for something more my style.

• We had Handyman Dave (HD) change out the yellowed counter for a nice pure white one.

• Mister HD changed out the faucet.

• We took out a towel bar that was meant for serious towels (not hand towels). And, I put up a hand towel bar next to the sink.

• The builder grade mirror came down and was replaced with a framed one that I bought at Hobby Lobby. Here is a little Hobby Lobby secret: a lot of their stuff is 50% off every other week. So, if you see a mirror you like and it isn't marked down just wait a week and buy it then. You do run the risk of someone else buying the mirror who doesn't know about the 50% off secret!

• We de-popcorned the ceiling. One day I may share that whole process with you. Our house is about 60% de-popcorned and that is about all we can handle for now. It is pretty hard work!

• We changed the carpet to tile. Carpet in front of the toilet is not my idea of a good time.

• We changed out the door knob and hinges from brass to polished nickel.

• Art was added.

I painted the art on the left. When we first moved in we painted the area around the sink a dark rose color. So, I tied the gray and rose color together with the paintings. The rose color left the wall, but kept its spot on the paintings.

Here is a closeup of the framed pictures on the right.

I found a bunch of cool old pamphlets and advertisements in an antique shop. I cut them all to pieces, framed them individually with black constructions paper and glued them onto some cardstock. They were meant for the kitchen but happened to be the right size for the bathroom. Now, people get to read about the weird ways that people thought about bananas in the 1960s while they take a trip to the baño.

How about a couple more after photos:

Sorry that they look completely different. One was taken with a flash and the other wasn't.

The photo below is a better representation of the real deal.

For a while, this was one of the only rooms in the house that I called completely finished. But it has recently made its way off that list. Now, I am ready to change up the art again. I want something a bit brighter. And you know I will let you in on it when it happens!

And a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to one of my best (and most pregnant) friends!!!